Delta ups the ante in battle for NY travel market

Passengers wait for their flight in the outdoor patio in the Delta airlines Sky club at terminal 4 at JFK airport, Friday, May 24, 2013 in New York. Delta opened its new $1.4 billion terminal, strengthening its hand in the battle for the lucrative New York travel market. The expanded concourse offers sweeping views of the airport, upscale food and shopping options and increased seating. It replaces a decrepit terminal built by Pan Am in 1960 that was an embarrassing way to welcome millions of visitors to the United States. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The facility was also celebrated Friday for what it replaces: a decrepit terminal built by Pan Am in 1960 that was an embarrassing way to welcome millions of visitors to the United States.

Kennedy Airport is still the primary gateway to the U.S. It saw 13.1 million inbound international passengers last year, more than any other American airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Miami International Airport was the next closest at 9.8 million, followed by Los Angeles International Airport at 8.3 million.

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Delta carries about 2.1 million of those arriving international passengers at JFK, more than any other carrier, according to the airport’s operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Delta CEO Richard Anderson said his customers “and the residents of New York now have the international hub facility that they expect and deserve.”

Travelers will appreciate both the big and small touches in the new facility. The 346,000-square-foot concourse houses local restaurant favorites like Blue Smoke and Shake Shack. Meanwhile, 75 percent of seats at the gates have access to electric outlets.

The most unique part is a 2,000-square-foot rooftop deck that offers sweeping views of the runways and airplanes. But it is part of a new Delta Sky Club, accessible only to members or passengers flying international business class.

Like at any modern airport, fliers should be prepared for a long walk — it can take up to 15 minutes to reach the furthest gate.

“I did need a plane ride to get from the entrance to here today,” joked U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y.

The expansion added nine new gates at the terminal. Construction is expected to soon begin on 11 additional gates for Delta’s smaller regional jets.

The airline hopes by 2015 to move all of its operations to Terminal 4. Until then, Delta will use a fleet of ten buses to shuttle passengers between Terminal 4 and its other operation in Terminal 2. Delta’s lease in that terminal ends in 2020.

New York is one of the few big cities in the U.S. not dominated by one airline. Carriers fight viciously to win the business of bankers, lawyers and consultants based in the city whose companies pay top dollar for last-minute flights.

United Airlines, which primarily flies out of Newark Liberty International Airport — across the Hudson River in New Jersey — is the region’s largest carrier, flying 27.4 million passengers in the 12 months ending in March.

But thanks to a swap of landing slots at LaGuardia Airport with US Airways, Delta is now a close second, with 23 million passengers annually in New York. JetBlue follows with 14.6 million and then comes American Airlines with 13.9 million.

Delta’s strategy isn’t to be the cheapest airline. It aims to capture business travelers with more pleasant experience — better planes, friendlier staff and more non-stop flights.